Biden labels Russian atrocities in Ukraine ‘genocide’

Putin calls Bucha reports ‘fake,’ blames UK agents

Washington DC: President Joe Biden has reiterated that Russia’s war in Ukraine amounts to genocide, accusing President Vladimir Putin of trying to “wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian.”

“Yes, I called it genocide,” he told reporters in Iowa on Tuesday shortly before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. “It’s become clearer and clearer.” Last week, Biden stopped short of saying Russia’s actions amounted to genocide.

At an earlier event Tuesday in Menlo, Iowa, addressing spiking energy prices caused by the war, Biden had implied that he thought Putin was carrying out genocide against Ukraine but offered no details. Neither he nor his administration announced new consequences because of the contention.

Biden’s comments drew immediate praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had encouraged Western leaders to use the term to describe Russia’s invasion of his country. But French President Emmanuel Macron declined to take his rhetoric that far in comments Wednesday.

“I am prudent with terms today,” Macron said. “Genocide has a meaning. The Ukrainian people and Russian people are brotherly people. … I’m not sure if the escalation of words serves our cause.”

Macron said it’s been established that the Russian army has committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy applauded Biden’s assessment. “True words of a true leader @POTUS,” he tweeted Tuesday. “Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil. We are grateful for US assistance provided so far and we urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent further Russian atrocities.”

Embedded in the genocide convention is an obligation that the U.S. and other signers of the treaty have treated warily — if they acknowledge genocide is occurring, they’re committed to ensuring investigation and prosecution, at the least. People and countries committing genocide “shall be punished,” the treaty declares, seeking to crush any wiggle room.

Image courtesy of (Image Courtesy: ABC News)

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